Feature

Jana and Spencer Giles, students at George Fox University, have been married since May 31st, 2014. Jana is a junior majoring in Elementary Education, and Spencer is a senior majoring in Accounting. They have been married for less than a year, but they first started dating five years ago. They were high school sweethearts, and they got to know each other well because they were both in band.
Jana and Spencer got engaged December 23rd, 2013. After that was one semester of planning the wedding as it quickly approached. Spencer said that it was not necessarily stressful planning the wedding, “but very busy.” They both said the one thing that made it more difficult was the fact that they were getting married in southern Oregon. Jana’s mother helped a lot with the planning, but it was difficult to touch base with her since she was so far away.
After being married, Jana says that “schedules are crazy, like trying to figure out lunch together is hard. I wouldn’t say that it’s harder. I think it was harder when we were dating because we weren’t living together.” Spencer said, “I find [marriage] easier because I have a support network right here.” Having someone to study with, and work together with makes the going easier.
Jana and Spencer gave some good marriage tips. Jana said, “Get a dishwasher. I know that sounds really weird.” Jana explained that sometimes little things, like cleaning and doing the dishes, can add up, because there is another person now. Little things, like a dishwasher, can help minimize the busyness. They both said one of the most important things in a marriage is communication.

The rumor that Netflix is making a live-action Legend of Zelda show has been a popular discussion point among fans of the video game. The show is being described as similar to Game of Thrones, but directed towards a family audience.
Before this, Netflix has developed other shows like Orange is the New Black, House of Cards, and Marco Polo. These shows have been fairly successful, giving hope to fans of Legend of Zelda.
The show is still in the beginning of its process—a writer has not even been chosen. Because there is little information on the direction of the show, there are mixed feelings among fans of the video game, including fans at George Fox University.
Alec Deering, a freshman at GFU, said that judging by what Netflix has done in the past the show could definitely turn out great. On the other hand, that format might not work due to the silent protagonist. But that very fact could be the source of a new twist or interesting change in giving the protagonist a voice.
Garrett Burr said, “I think a live-action Zelda show is what a lot fans have been waiting for, and since Netflix would be making it, I think it’s going to do well. I can’t wait to see what it’s like.”
Daniel Mellers, also a freshman, said “Personally, I think a show based on a video game, especially one with such a large and loyal fan-base, is almost certainly destined to fail. The show could go two different directions—it could come up with a storyline largely unrelated to the games, simply borrowing the characters and the fantasy world, or it could attempt to follow the games’ storyline, at least as a general rule. If it decides not to follow the games, then fans of the games are almost certain to think of it as disloyal. If it does decide to follow the games, then the plot would likely be lacking, because plots designed for interesting gameplay do not necessarily make interesting TV shows. Plus, there is a good chance that a live action show will fail to capture the artistic charm of the world of the game, which was enhanced by the style of animation.”
There are clearly many mixed feelings about Netflix and Nintendo working together on this project. All the fans can do now is hope that Netflix honors the spirit of the Legend of Zelda.

George Fox University will be hosting a fashion show this Friday entitled “La Belleza del Chiaroscuro” which means “The beauty of shades of light and dark.” This show is a culminating project for upperclassmen majoring in fashion design, and begins at 8 p.m.
Eileen Celentano, assistant professor for Visual Arts said this is their “culminating project for them [using] the skills that they’ve developed and the education they’ve had here.”
Racsan Limbauan, one of the designers, said that the designers will have a chance to meet people from the professional fashion world at the show. They will also have the models walking around in their designs after the show so the designs can be seen up close.
This event gives students the opportunities to show their work to professionals, add to their portfolio, and show the culmination of their years at GFU. Because of this, the fashion show carries a lot of weight for the designers.
The fashion show has been in the making for several months. Celentano said that she, the two directors and the other assistant began discussing the fashion show in October. They started to decide when it would be, the theme, and how they wanted the mechanics to work.
The students have also been working on the fashion show since last semester. Limbauan described the work that goes into this for the students. They have each developed a “story” or theme for their line. After determining their theme they worked on sketches and reworked them until they were just right. They then created muslins which Racsan described as “rough drafts for your garment.” It must be fitted to the model, then the final works are created.
In a way they have been preparing since they were freshman. The students came in knowing that the fashion show would be one of their final projects. Through their classes they have learned the styles they like and how to apply the skills they have learned. This has helped them slowly develop their ideas for what their “story” will be.
Because each designer chooses a “story,” each line is not connected to the others with an overarching theme. There is a lot of diversity in the lines. Each line reflects the personalities and passions of the designer.
The designers, models, and all others working on the fashion show invite students to come enjoy the fashion show and see what the designers have created.

The music can be overheard coming from the FoxHole to the Student Union Building hallway as students walk by. Music such as “Friend like Me” from Disney’s Aladdin or “Sing, Sing, Sing” by Benny Goodman reaches the ears of those nearby.
On Saturdays or Sundays, depending on the weekend schedule, the Swing Dancing Club plays music and teaches anyone willing to stop by in the FoxHole how to dance.
The dancing starts with a 30-45 minute learning time where anyone can come and learn how to swing dance. People such as Victoria Guiher, the president of the club, or Aaron Panganiban, the vice president, are willing to give tips or show moves to anyone who asks.
Guiher took over the club around a year ago after the fervor for swing faded, but she brought it back, keeping the beat going and continuing lessons.
Guiher and Panganiban both have a passion for swing dancing. “It’s a lot less intimidating than it seems,” says Panganiban. “Truth is that a lot people who come are beginners too.”
On this last Sunday, students were incorporating tango moves into swing to go with the pretzel, the flower, and the copious amount of spinning. It was led by Panganiban, Guiher, MaKenna Hickey, and Vivian Diebel who could all be seen twirling up and down on the FoxHole floor.
The vibe when walking in can be intimidating if you do not know anyone, but people are friendly and willing to dance with whomever. You do not need to have a date; you can just go with friends and dance with anyone you want. Or you can bring your significant other and have a nice time with each other.
The environment is relaxed. There are fans blowing by the doors and water to drink when you get hot. And thankfully the chairs are still set up, so you can take a seat when you get tired of dancing. You can come late, leave early. There is very little pressure. The lack of structure is welcoming; it makes it easy for people with different ranges of abilities to show up.
If the song playing is not your favorite, sit it out, and then ask the person with the computer (usually Aaron) to play your favorite, as long as it has some swing to it.
The key seems to be to not be afraid to ask someone to dance. Then once you’re dancing, don’t be afraid to mess up or try new things. Sure, the couple next to you has taken ballroom for years, but that’s OK; they are probably friendly and willing to show you some new moves.

February 27 marked the death of Leonard Nimoy. Nimoy is best known for playing the iconic character of Spock from the original Star Trek series. He also played Spock in eight Star Trek movies, ranging from 1979 to 2013.
Though he was most popular for his role as Spock, his career encompassed much more. He was a voice actor and director for many other movies. He wrote two books, one entitled “I Am Not Spock,” the other “I Am Spock” resulting from struggling for many years with only being known as Spock, but he later saw good in the character and what he brought to it. Nimoy also had an interest in photography and music.
Nimoy’s death affected many of his fans in different ways. Katelynn Courteney, a student at GFU, described her reaction to the news.
“Friday morning I found it on Facebook and clicked on the link to see if it was real…I freaked out and said to my roommate ‘Megan! Leonard Nimoy is dead!’ It was a shock to everybody, including me,” she said.
Daniel Mellers, a student at George Fox University, commented on the fact that Nimoy is constantly associated with only the character of Spock.
“I think it’s interesting that after Leonard Nimoy died, even though he was just an actor, albeit for a very popular show, he has become a cultural icon,” Mellers said. “[I] associated with his character and in some way having the characteristics of his character. He is seen as the wise, intelligent man because of the character he played.”
Despite Nimoy’s death, he will be remembered: not only by the iconic character he played, but also by the photography, books, and music he produced.

The dish carousel at Bon Appetit (the Bon) spins in a circle, laden with dirty dishes, and behind it, five days a week, Rafael Mancilla works in the dish room. Rafael, better known as Rafa, pulls used trays and dishes covered in food off the racks, scrubs them off and loads them into the dish room’s giant dish-washing machine. He and the other members of the dish room staff work late into the night ensuring that the Bon will be prepared with clean pots and pans for the next day.
Cart after cart, all stacked high with dirty pots and pans from the kitchen, are shoved back into the dish room to be cleaned and put away. Rafa, dressed in a black waterproof apron, doesn’t let the mountains of dishes slow him down, but works cheerfully with a big smile on his face.
Rafa has worked at George Fox University since November of 2005.
“[Most of] the George Fox community probably don’t know who Rafa is, but students should know he is one of the many hard working dish-room staff,” said Brett Harvey, the board manager at Bon Appetit Co..
“I really like working here, especially with the student workers,” said Rafa. He likes to help students feel at ease and is always ready with a joke or to help students learn some basic Spanish.
Rafa works very hard, and when asked what he does in his free time, he laughed shyly. “Free time? I have no free time. I work every day, five days here at The Bon and two days a week at the dish room over at Friendsview. I work to make money to help support my family. I work hard for little money.”
Rafa rides his bicycle to and from work everyday, rain or shine. He works every day, not only to support his family, but also to save his money for an annual two-week trip down to Mexico so that he can be reunited with his brother and sister.
“We always have such a good time!” said Rafa.
The workers of the dish room, people like Rafa, are often seen but unnoticed. This does not detract from their importance; they are the backbone, and often what keeps the operation going.
“Rafa is one of the hardest working people I know,” said Harvey. “[Not only does he] help to keep our kitchen running smooth and our guests happy with clean plates, silverware and cups, he also brings to our Bon Appetit team strength, consistency and understanding.”
When placing trays on the dish carousel, some students yell out thank you to the dish room staff. It might just be Rafa who is on the other side, smiling and yelling back “You’re welcome!”

While many students will be taking road trips to sightsee and or returning home, a small group of George Fox University students will be spending the next week traveling to three different locations (Seattle, San Francisco and Flying H Ranch) to volunteer their time and effort in service.
Although this year’s volunteers are fewer in number than past years, the trips’ coordinator, Lene Ferrari, is excited about the prospects.
The purpose of the trips in Ferrari’s words is “getting students connected with outside community partners who are doing more permanent service work.” The focus is on partnering with established ministries, rather than attempting to start from square one at the beginning of the week.
Ferrari continued, “Another perhaps more inexplicit goal would be for students to build relationships with each other on these trips, and create a space for students to process what they are learning in friendship.”
She hopes to create a two-way street in which students serve and in doing so are placed into an environment where they themselves can be served. “I am most excited to hear about what students learned on the trips afterwards” and “how this trip relates to individual student’s vocations,” she said.
There are any number of reasons why students should go on a serve trip. “I don’t think there is a universal reason students should participate on a serve trip. I think these trips can offer a variety of positive things for students,” said Ferrari. “I would encourage any student to apply, whether they are new to serve trips, or have gone on twenty. Everyone has something unique to offer to a team.”
Originally five trips were being offered but two were cancelled, about which Ferrari commented, “Three trips out of the five that were offered to students are going. I think this is partially due to the overall number of signups, but also due to what trips student leaders wanted to lead. We have plans to continue our partnerships with [the two cancelled ministries], possibly during the next Winter Serve or next Spring Serve.”
Ferrari clearly feels strongly rewarded by coordinating the serve trips. The most difficult part for her is, “trying not to feel annoying with the number of emails I send!”

One of the happiest places at George Fox University is the information window, behind which sits Barbi Doran. She is the Information Services Coordinator and has been a bright contribution to the GFU family for seven years. Barbi is always ready with a smile to answer the phone and to greet anyone who has a question as if they are the most important person in the world.
“One of my favorite aspects of my job is getting to work with people, students, coworkers, and visitors,” said Barbi Doran. “I just love helping people and being a resource for them, and I get to do that all day long.”
Before being hired in February of 2008, Barbi worked for the university as a temporary information coordinator who was on call. She worked at that position for about a year, until the person who had held the permanent position moved to the Portland campus. When this happened, she applied for the job and was hired.
“It’s OK to have too much fun!”
“I love my job so much!” said Barbi. “I throw myself an ‘I love my job anniversary party’, every year on the anniversary of my hire date, and I’ve done that every year since I was hired.”
Her parties include lots of chocolate, fruit, cake, cookies, and prize drawings. “I try to have as many prizes as years that I’ve been here,” she said.
Barbi also keeps a running list of all of the funny switchboard calls that she receives throughout the year, types them up and then sends them out so that people can read them and get a laugh.
“This year I asked students and employees to write down what they like about their job, then I compiled all the answers. When I sent out ‘thanks for coming to my party’ emails, I followed up with the list of what others had said that they liked about their jobs,” said Barbi. “I think it encourages people and when they read over the list they can be like, you know what? I love that about my job too!’ It’s an acknowledgement and an encouragement, and it’s fun!”
A typical day for Barbi includes working on several projects at a time.
“I try to have things that don’t have a tight deadline, because you never know who’s going to call or who’s going to walk in the door and need help,” she said.
She relies on sticky notes to stay organized and never throws one away until she has handled the task. Barbi also utilizes the calendar on her computer that pops up with reminders of when it’s time to complete something, even small things.
“I am thrilled when students share their lives with me and I get to pray with them on the phone or in person,” said Barbi. “If I have a student who has a test or an important interview and I’m praying for them, I just put it in my calendar and then it just pops up on my computer, ‘pray for this person.’ It’s a good reminder and is very helpful.”
Barbi makes the students of GFU– “her kids,” as she fondly refers to them–a priority not only at work, but outside of it as well.
“I’m a big Bruins fan, and I love basketball, so I really love supporting my kids. Oftentimes when we are at the games, especially an away game, someone will ask, ‘Oh, which one is your kid?’ I always answer, ‘They’re all my kids!’”
Barbie is also excited about the addition of the Bruins football team.
“I have to be careful, [when cheering], because I don’t understand all the calls in football yet, but I’ve found that if I just yell, ‘Go Bruins!’ no matter what’s going on out on the field, it’s a good cheer,” she said.
Barbi’s Desk
In her free time, Barbi also loves to go shopping, and calls it her down time. Garage saleing is another of her favorite pastimes. “Although in Oregon it’s not a year round pastime,” she laughed. “But for sure in the summer, every Saturday I’m out.”
When asked what motivates her, Barbi answered, “My heart is to serve, and I believe that if we love God, then his love flows through us and out to others. Like on my own, I couldn’t do it, I couldn’t serve and be and do, but when I open myself up to God’s love and allow myself to be a conduit of his love through me, then that’s how I can do what I can do. ‘Cause it’s never in my strength; I’d run out.”
Barbi loves interacting with students, helping students, being a resource for students, and praying for students.
“I love it when students come up and share their lives with me,” Barbi smiled. “So stop by, I would love to get to know more students and help them in any way I can, and it doesn’t matter the question or need, I am happy to help. Oh and I always have chocolate at my desk too!”
Barbi hard at work!

This year’s Spring Retreat took place at Trout Creek Bible Camp and featured George Fox University Christian Studies professor, Anderson Campbell, as the weekend’s speaker. Campbell focused on Philippians 3:2-14 with the topic of “Jesus All the Way Through?”
Campbell explained his topic choice, saying, “I picked this topic because it is tempting for us as Christians to merely have a veneer of Jesus … but be filled with all sorts of other stuff on the inside. I wanted to explore what … stuff stands in our way, and what things we might be able to do in order to become Jesus all the way through.”
Students pursued extrinsically and intrinsically spiritual activities such as Campus Pastor Rusty St. Cyr’s list: “relax[ing] a bit with blue skies, huge trees, great food, rock-walls, zip-lines, hiking trails, with friends (old and new) and in solitude with God.”
These activities were all left intentionally optional to allow students to seek “retreat” in whichever way they saw best. According to Campbell that best way occurred at “the bonfire on Saturday night… The light and the heat from the fire was welcome. But more than that, the fire offered us an opportunity to make some offerings to God. Students wrote down things that they wanted to give over to God and then they burned those things as a tangible way of expressing their desire to turn and follow Jesus more fully.”
Campbell’s sessions were well-received according to attendants. Student Andrew Upchurch said, “I saw people refreshed by the message that Anderson Campbell shared with us.”
St. Cyr said, “Anderson Campbell did a brilliant job of inviting us to explore in-depth one simple but rich passage of scripture the entire weekend. I also personally saw and have heard from students who were quite hungry and excited to listen well, to learn deeply, and to apply truth from God’s Word.”
All three men wanted to share their excitement over retreats to come as well as their gratefulness for the 2015 Spring Retreat. “Looking forward to Fall Escape back at the coast next Nov. 13-15th with our partner organization Twin Rocks Friends Camp!,” said St. Cyr.
“The goal of the weekend was to create a space for rest, retreat, reflection, community, and worship. From what I could see, I know that this goal was accomplished to a very significant extent,” said Upchurch.

“I was baking something and it caught on fire,” Lexie Began explained. She is in her junior year and a Cinema Media Communications (CMCO) major at George Fox University, but Film is not her only passion.
“I love food,” she said. “I’m not very good at baking.” While broiling the salmon on a rather sensitive oven, she went to check on the pot and her food was alight.
Lexie is one of those people who can cook without following the book. “I don’t like having to use a recipe if I don’t have to,” she said. “Like, you know if I get all the ingredients I can just fix them the way that I want. I love that kind of freedom.”
Lexie explained that the flaming salmon was not a common occurrence.
“I’ve never set anything on fire; this is a first for me,” she said.
The freedom that Lexie has in the kitchen is the same freedom that allows for anything to happen in her career as well.
As well as cooking, Lexie has a passion for animation. “I’m kind of like a jack of all trades when it comes to animation, but I really lean towards the digital and 3D animation more.” Which is fitting, considering that is her concentration as a CMCO student.
Lexie got involved in film and animation at an early age. “Our fifth grade class had this project where we all made stop motion movies,” she said. “So they taught us how to do it and they all looked terrible, but you know, we each did them in our own classes and we had a little film festival in the end and it was really fun.”
“I liked it so much, I helped other people with their projects, just helping with filming and editing and stuff,” she said. She continued with it and realized that her passion could become a reality and a career. “I kept on doing it through middle school, and then people were telling me ‘this is something you can actually do as a career.’”
Animation has not always been her dream though, “I had originally wanted to be a vet, um, dissecting frogs kind of turns you off to that when you realize, I don’t really want to cut into animals,” she said. And now she has been led here to GFU.
Lexie acknowledges that life can take you in many different directions and that she is willing to work hard no matter where she ends up. “I found out that GFU has a small animation program but that they wanted to make it grow, and I mean I could probably go somewhere else and learn how to do animation much better,” Lexie said, “but I really wanted to help out and just expand our animation program and give recognition to our animation program.
“We had to do an animation for our midterm and most people were like, it’s so hard, people hate it. Most film majors really dislike animation,” she admits, but she is not deterred by it. “It’s really hard but it’s really satisfying. I made this thing move from here to here and it looks really cool.”
“You get to kind of figure things out and mess up and find fantastic things out by yourself. It’s really fun.”
She learns something every day, whether it is about animation or the temperament of the stove. When talking with Lexie her passions are easily visible. Her maturity comes out in the fact that she knows that life comes with messes, challenges, and flaming fish and no recipe, but great things come creating something good and worth indulging in.
“I just want to do animation,” she said. “I don’t have any place where I’d love to work… I don’t care if I am working on films or working on games, I just want to do animation.”
Lexie does not seem to be too preoccupied in what happens as long as it involves what she loves. She is willing to see where life takes her, which hopefully will involve safe cooking and making animation for those around her to enjoy.

This last Sunday was the mid-season premiere of The Walking Dead. For those of you who may have never seen the show or just don’t have the time to keep up with it, let me give you a quick overview of what has happened. The main plot of the show is centered around an ever-changing (due to deaths and new friends) group of people living in a world overrun by zombies and hardened survivors. Leading this group is a former deputy named Rick Grimes.
In the mid-season finale, one of the important characters, Beth, was shot in the head by an enemy. Many people were excited to see where the show would go after the events of the mid-season finale. The question is, did the premiere live up to all that expectation?
The show begins with a flash of images. Among those images are a crying Maggie, a crying Noah, a funeral, and several characters that had passed away. Because this was directly after Beth’s death in the last episode, many people probably assumed that it was her funeral and people were crying for her. It was not made clear at that point what the images meant.
After this there is a quick segue into the fact that Rick wants to travel to Noah’s old town in Virginia, thinking there is some type of haven there. While searching a house, Tyreese gets distracted and is bitten by a walker. As Noah runs for help, Tyreese collapses and soon falls into a fevered episode of visions as he slowly dies.
Tyreese’s visions are those from the beginning of the episode and it becomes clear that those images had nothing to do with Beth. I found this a confusing choice for the writers to make. Beth was a fairly integral character and had been one much longer than Tyreese. I had expected the focus to be at least partly on their grief after her death. By the end of the episode her death had been mentioned just a couple times. We never see any type of funeral or extreme displays of grief over her death.
The writers attempted to focus on Tyreese and bring to light new aspects of him. They attempted to make him a more likable character before he died in the end. Up until this episode Tyreese has often been seen as the weak one. This episode featured tough sides of him we may have not known and his qualities that were perceived as weak suddenly seemed to have a form of strength behind them.
The fact that they tried to change negative perceptions of Tyreese before his death was understandable, but it felt much too rushed. We can not change our entire mindset of a character in half an hour, so much so that when he dies we remember only his good qualities.
I feel that the entire episode rushed through plot points that begged for much more depth and time. Also, I feel they spent more effort to show the horror of Tyreese’s death and not Beth’s—a character who had a deeper connection to the audience.
The episode itself was interesting, but in the context of other episodes just didn’t seem to work or make sense. They took plot points that could have been spent on several episodes and put it all into a short span of 45 minutes which resulted in a confusing, unexciting, and underwhelming episode.